Summer Trip - Part 2

The Grand Canyon!

I love taking trips to parts of the country where nature plays a big part. I love seeing mountains and water and now the grandest canyon ever! I knew it was big. But it was just so different than I thought it would be. I was joking with someone about going to Arizona to see the "biggest hole in the ground" - but it's didn't really strike me as that. It was more like a painting. Each turn of the trail and each corner of the canyon looked different - and amazing! Arriving by train was the way to go! It was fun to take a break from the car, even with me the passenger (I don't drive on trips - agreed on by both parties!). We were able to see the canyon from many overlooks that first day. And even saw a condor napping! (bottom middle picture in collage)

And we ended day one at the Canyon watching the sunset. Amazing colors!

Day two at the Grand Canyon began with a sunrise - left the room at 5:00. I am NOT an early riser - that is an understatement. But I was not going to miss the sunrise at the Grand Canyon. When am I ever going to get to see it again? And it was COLD and amazing. The quiet and then the sun just peeking over the canyon, then lighting up the entire sky.

We did some rim trail hiking - we were not daring enough to do any of the Bright Angel trail. Way too hot. And with the sinus infection I was getting, the inner ear pressure was not going to afford much in the way of balance confidence! We did however hike around the rim - and hit many of the overlooks. After a day of hiking and picture taking, we got back on the train to head back to Williams, and hit I-40 to stay the night in Flagstaff.

Summer Trip - Part 1

Our trip to the Southwest was GREAT!! And HOT!!!

We flew into Las Vegas on Tuesday. Drove down the strip, saw the sign! We stayed in Paris Las Vegas. So nice and really fun. Just cheesy enough. Hey, we were in Vegas, got to have a little cheese!

It was an easy flight and so fun to be in Vegas, just to see it for a little while. And the little while is what had me worried. My luggage didn't make it to Vegas. And we were heading out the next morning to start driving to the Grand Canyon. Yikes!!! So what I had on was what I toured Vegas in. It was not the most comfortable stuff. I really wanted my walking shoes - which were in the suitcase. And a tank top - which was in the suitcase. We played the "it's in the suitcase" game for a while. It was kind of funny. But then kind of not. The airline told us that there was a 99.9% chance that I WOULD get my luggage that night. Huh. Pretty good odds. And in Vegas even! But the airline didn't call all night, like they said the would when the bag was delivered to the hotel. So I did a little preemptive shopping. To see what I could get the next morning, if indeed the bag didn't come. A prospect that really wasn't that exciting after we thought about it. Money and time would be wasted.

We walked around the Strip and got to see Vegas in the daytime - and at night (just for a litle while) - the lights and the Bellagio fountains and even the Mirage Volcano!! At 1o:30 we headed back to Paris... and we checked with the front desk... Yea!! I've never been so happy to see my bag! I had pajamas and toiletries and everything that I had been checking off my list all afternoon!

The next morning we did a little more sightseeing in Vegas - went up in the Effiel Tower - the views were amazing!
We drove down past Lake Mead and then over the Hoover Dam. We didn't stop because we had lost LOTS of time waiting in construction traffic. About 1 1/2 hours. In the Nevada heat. Yuck!
Then we drove Route 66 to Williams, AZ, stopping at a diner for onion rings and milkshakes along the way!